In a move that could spur freedom-of-the-press activists into action, Mangalore Police on Saturday night arrested B.V. Seetharam, editor of the Karavali Ale group of publications, and his wife Rohini, reportedly on charges of carrying provocative articles on the Jain community.
The arrest follows a complaint lodged with Panambur Police by a Jain association against the tone, tenor and contents of a series of articles carried by Seetharam’s publications on the eve of the visit of Jain muni Tarun Sagar‘s visit to Mangalore, but there’s no confirmation.
(Sagar’s Amruth Pravachan began on Saturday.)
Among other things, Seetharam is said to have questioned how the muni, famous for his high-pitched, full-throated katu pravachana, could be allowed to roam naked on the streets of the City while there is a law against nudity in public.
The articles are deemed to have been inflammatory to feelings of members of the Jain community. Seetharam will be produced before the courts on Monday morning, but there is still no explanation for why the police have picked up his wife.
Seetharam’s brand of journalism has been under question by independent activists at the receiving end of it, and the People’s Rights Group has mounted a full-throated campaign against it in recent times.
Saturday’s arrest may be linked to any of Seetharam’s many previous transgressions, but its timing lends credence to the possibility that the Jain articles were the cause. If so, they open up a delicious question: is it wrong to question Jain nudity in public merely because of the religious sanction? And are Jain customs above Indian law?
Related links: Karavali Ale editor B.V. Seetharam arrested by Police
Journalist, wife in judicial custody
Photo courtesy mangalorean.com
Cross-posted on sans serif
You can also get more info on this issue from another blog, which has been fighting these criminals- in the guise- of media/ press for a long time…
http://www.udupipressvictim.wordpress.com
I was surprised with your last question “And are Jain customs above Indian law?”
Law is made by people and for the people. And every religion and custom has its own faith and procedure. And Indian constitution has given right to every religion to follow its own custom.
This sick minded editor(BV Seetharam) is breaking Hindu society and community with his dirty provocative articles in his yellow paper. I thank DK Police for their tremendous job by arresting him. This sick editor don’t even have 0.000001% good quality even after being a Hindu.
Anyone, who has seen ‘Karavali Ale’ or Seetharam-style journalism where the focus is exclusively on sensationalizing and provoking, would have dismissed these articles on Jain muni as just another piece of garbage.
But I still support the right to speak his mind and question what happened. I find Police action little extreme. I’m sure there is more to this story than what we know now! ;)
religious sentiments…yidhikke yedhrodhu agoidhe biggest democracy nalli
I go with Vittal, on this subject. I have no ill feeling on ANY religion least Jain community, but instead of answering his question or convincing him, arresting him is a bit going far. I have not heard or read about him or his paper.
Religion sentiments apart, it is a bit too embarrassing to view photos of a person in nude, whatever might be his reason. If anyone has a reason justified to be able to roam about nude in public, then some one else might also come up with reasons to dress in whatever way he/she wants to, or worse go nude in public. law has to be fair in our “Secular” country.
Religion has to change by the time. It is now accepted by all that one safeguard their dignity by covering themselves with clothes. Going nude anywhere in the world is considered indecent except in private.
Let me not shoot myself on my foot by this comments, it is no way against the sentiments of ANY community. I am trying to be logical in my thinking.
not related to this story, aadare Sri Tarun Sagar avara pravachanagaLu online elladaru sigatta? ee muni pravachana maaDOdu kannadadalla?
KP, if you come to know the details of the people behind Udupipressvictim, then you might as well delete this post! Seetharam is a much better journo than those roll-call scribes!
avaru pravachana hindinalli maadodhu
Poser to shanks and others…
if you do not like to see photos of people who are nude…
remeber that this is the very news paper which started nude photography inside hospitals, wards, intensive care units and trauma centers…to sell a few copies more…
when a duty bound doctor pushed pervert journalists out of the manipal hospital, these sleazy newspapers wrote reams about the doctor…and his minister father…where was your conscience then???
All the vested interests with an uniform of Secularism (read Minorities) have flocked together against Journalist BV Seetharam. It is unfortunate that such a fine journo who worked for ‘Samyukta Karnataka’, ‘The Hindu’ has fallen victim for this orchestered plan.
The same gang who sow the seeds of hatredness and communal disharmony are preaching secularism (read anti hindus).
I pity the plight of B.V.See.
Dear Tegginamane Shivu
The fine journo B V Seetharam you are taliking about has died alongwith Canara Times…(even the blog of canara times died last December).
The present day B V Seetharam is a first order blackmailer, inciting communal tension in the coastal Karanataka…
If you dont trust my words…go to Google and type karavali ale kodikal church and see for yourself…
he has brought dishonour to our secular country…
I hate those who have slightest sympathy for BVSee
It is strange that a paper like The Hindu should give such wide publciity to the protest regarding b.v. sitaram’s arrest on its front page. No other newspaper in karnataka has given such publicityy to Sitrama like the Hindu. Sitaram is big blackmail journalist and it is fact wellknown in mangalore. but the report in the hindu makes a martyr out of sitarama. do the people in HINDU not understand that sitaram has hurt the feeling of the hindu community by publishing wrong articles. but these leftists do not understand anything about community and religion. The Hindu reporter Raghuram is a former employeee of canara times. so he has sympathy for sitaram. like sitaram, raghuaram is also on the rollcall of congress politicians in mangalore. the hindu and leftists have come together to give maximum publicity to stirama.; but thesee peoples do not knowthat hindu religion is broadminded hence they can write whatever. these people should be sent to arabia and then they will knoww what freeddom of expresson is. how did the hindu reporter talk to sitaram, who is under arrest is another question. where is jouranalistsic ethics??
Gowda,,
The very purpose of your posting is to spread ‘hatredness’, it is understandable since you are supposed to be a ‘secular’.
I did go through all those URLs organised by the Leftists, Leftouts, Human Rights Activists, Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and ofcourse Seculars. This country has witnessed enough of these pseudo NGOs, Political Outfits since its independence.
If your postings and all those blogs, URLs can spread ‘hatredness’ against BVSee and rest of the non-minority communities, why not Karavli Ale does it in the reverse manner?
Calling or terming someone a blackmailer is easy, especially on a blog like this, because none of you would reveal true identities.
Anyways poor Mangalooreans, excepting intellectuals of your kind, would ever read a blog!
If reporting in “reverse manner” to you means publishing false reports of death during communal riots, thus causing more tension…then you have all the reason to back Karavali Ale kind of journalism. May god bless you.
Vikas,
It is not Raghuram, who decides which report get what prominence. It is decided at The Hindu office in Madras. This is elementary in journalism. So Raghuram cannot be held responsible for the publicity of Seetharam. I personally know Raghuram and other journalists in Mangalore. Raghuram is a honest and sincere journalist, with sterling qualities of head and heart. He is a warm person. He is neither pro-Hindu nor anti-Hindu. He is an idependent and impartial journalist. You should do a rethink on Raghuram.
BV seetharam is a former Hindu reporter and state award winner for his reports on colapseof Kapali theatre.
mediaa watcher, i made inquieriees. you aree right. i am wrong. i withdraw my earlier comments on both sitaram and raghuram. MY DEEP APOLOGIEES TO BOTH SITARAMA AND RAGHURAM. i requestt the head of churumuri to withdraw my earllier comment on both sitaram and raghuuram. but i stand firmm in myy views that ‘the hindu’ is PRO-COMMUNIST aand ANTI-HINDUTVA. the newspaper must realizee that india is a tolderant countryy because it has a majority of hindu people. i close thiss chaptre here.
Yes, the report on Hindu was by “special correspondent” who did not want to be named, for the fear of getting hit by people of Mangalore.
At least Raghuram can do the damage control now…
As i have posted earlier, award winning reporter, reporter par exellence, his highness B V Seetharam is dead alongwith his Canara Times daily. (it is still circulated as a fortnightly to those who had subscribed to it as life time subscribers).
The trouble with B V Seetharam is he has touched the most sensitive nerves of religio political mafia of Karnataka, who are very powerful not only in State but every fabric of Indian powers that be. This mafia is does not belong to any particular political party but bent on milking the gullible public.
God help Seetharam.
Mr Pears
I suggest you to change your name! Pears is a glycerine soap, which cleanses dirtiest of the dirts. But you spread dirt, by talking illogically. You are enjoying a Hindu being targetted by Hindus, because you are not a Hindu. So do not pose as a secularist now. Secularism died along with Gandhiji in this country. And Nehru family made fortune out of the dead by appeasing people like you and other minorities. Why not we accept this simple fact.
Let God help you first, before Seetharam, whoever that God be!
Calling all intellectuals
B V Seetahram has been arrested again, please help…
otherwise it sends a bad signal that, media persons are not immune to the process of law…
All those having a laugh now, please note that you will pay dearly when B V See comes out in the open…
O ye lovers of God!
Be kind to all peoples;
care for every person;
do all ye can to purify the hearts and minds of men;
strive ye to gladden every soul.
To every meadow be a shower of grace,
to every tree the water of life;
be as sweet musk to the sense of humankind,
and to the ailing be a fresh, restoring breeze.
Be pleasing waters to all those who thirst,
a careful guide to all who have lost their way;
be father and mother to the orphan,
be loving sons and daughters to the old,
be an abundant treasure to the poor.
Think ye of love and good fellowship as the delights of heaven,
think ye of hostility and hatred as the torments of hell.
There is no need to cry foul on B V Seetharams arrest. Now that he is rearrested and sent to the jail in Sagar, there must be some truth in Police actions…moreover, those who redicule police, are likely to get more than their share when they tread the path of crime!
How come only communist friends are supporting him?
Dear Nandan
If you read Karavali Ale- first nws to greet you would be that of a muder or rape…next page would be news with hatred, editorial would be slander on some politician…no point lecturing this creature B V Seetharam about love and genteel…
Let us for once banish these blackmailers and their supporters from Karanataka Media scene!
TMA
CUNNING “EDITOR”
To get out of the mess, now B V Seetharam claims he is not the editor of Karavali Ale!
Those who back him, please note this!!!!
How you all have ganged up against BV See!! Shame on you, for small political (read communal) gains, you are all spitting venom on BVSee.
Hi Gunning “BLOGGER”
To get the publicity, now Raviraja Gowda claims he is the know all blogger here!
Those who back(stab) BV See note this !!!!
Rohini, wife of B V See has now filed a petition with NHRC.
Now watch the fun! All the police, judges who harassed B V See & his wife will face the MUSIC!!!
But why has BVSee gone hiding?
EDITOR DISOWNS HIS NEWSPAPER to come out of legal tangle…
In the letter written by B V See, he has claimed that he is neither the editor, nor the publisher/ printer…more on this link in The Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/2007/03/21/stories/2007032110540400.htm
all those who support this criminal must be having their feet in the mouth!!!
Ravi Belagere has termed B V Seetharam as MANDE PIRKI= Tikkala
Update for the benefit of blog readers…
Bail plea of B V Seetharam has been kept pending by state high court, as the state govt feels that he is indeed the owner, editor and printer of Karavali Ale group of newspapers…
Another point to be noted…the “Bakra” editors of B V See, Shivaprasad and Vaidya are absconding!
I feel that these saints must follow there costumes in their respective temples not in streets it is very shocking that they are allowed in public which will affect the children more and specially women on the roads will feel so embraced when seeing nude men on streets its bad, govt must take some action and limit these nude men in the society.